For more than five decades, residents of several villages in Palashi Union under Aditmari upazila of Lalmonirhat have been waiting for a simple yet crucial development—a paved road.
The 3.6-kilometre road connecting Taluk Palashi, Malmali Bazar, Nityanand and Bawair Chora villages to the Union Parishad and the upazila headquarters has remained largely neglected for 54 years despite repeated assurances from political leaders.
For the thousands of villagers who rely on the road, the broken path has become a daily obstacle affecting their access to schools, markets, hospitals and other essential services.
The road runs past Palashi Government Primary School and serves as the only link between the villages and the main administrative centre.
Yet the route remains a narrow, uneven dirt track that becomes nearly unusable during the rainy season, said locals.
In the dry months, residents manage to travel on foot or by bicycle but during monsoon, heavy mud and water-filled potholes make the road extremely risky, they said
Villagers say many people have been injured after slipping or falling while trying to cross the muddy stretch.
The poor road condition also disrupts everyday social and family activities.
Housewife Zarina Begum said even funeral processions face difficulties reaching the villages during the rainy season.
“Sometimes wedding arrangements get delayed because guests cannot travel easily,” she said.
“Once a pregnant woman died because the van carrying her to hospital overturned after hitting a pothole.”
Farmers say the road’s condition also affects their livelihoods.
Farmer Moksedul Islam, the cost of transporting agricultural produce to markets increases two to three times due to the poor road condition.
“Even when we have a good harvest, much of the income is lost because transportation becomes expensive and difficult,” he said.
Ambulances and fire service vehicles often fail to reach the villages during the monsoon, leaving residents vulnerable during emergencies.
Fisherman Robiul Islam said the road has not seen any significant repair work for decades.
“The last patchwork was done about 35 years ago. Since then, no proper maintenance or construction work has taken place,” he said.
Retired school teacher Mazaharul Islam said several former lawmakers and ministers had pledged to develop the road, yet no visible progress followed.
He added that even after the road was given an official identification number and surveys were conducted by the Local Government Engineering Department, the long-awaited construction work did not begin.
For expatriate residents originally from the area, the continued neglect is particularly disappointing.
Aminur Rahman, who now lives abroad, said the union has made significant progress in education, fisheries and agriculture, but the road connecting these villages remains unchanged.
“It is frustrating to see such a small but important road still neglected after so many years,” he said.
Aditmari Upazila Engineer Fazlul Haq said the road is an important route that should have been paved long ago.
He said a proposal has already been submitted to the ministry and the project will begin once funding is approved.